In the field of medicine, medical professionals have traditionally relied on their past experience, intuition, or what they can see and feel to guide their decisions during a medical procedure. For example, when a medical professional is performing a surgical procedure using his or her eyes, the medical professional is guided by the eyes and other senses. Advanced imaging technology is now being included in surgical navigation systems for tracking objects during a surgical procedure. Surgical navigation systems rely on reference objects affixed to a portion of a patient's body. For example, surgical navigation systems may track surgical instruments relative to a reference object affixed to a patient. Alternatively, a movable portion of a patient may be tracked relative to a reference object affixed to a portion of a patient's body. Reference objects establish a frame of reference for tracking tools, instruments, or portions of a patient's anatomy during a medical procedure.